After
by AmyHale
Summary: Sequel to "All The Things You Said" - Follow Addison, Derek, Meredith and Mackenzie as they adjust to their new extended family.
1. Life In Slow Motion

**After**

**Chapter One**

**-Life In Slow Motion-**

Mackenzie quietly tip-toed into her mother's room. It was dark, and Meredith was lying on the bed.

Mackenzie opened the curtains and the window to let the light of the sun and the fresh air in. Then she lay down beside her mom, watching her carefully.

In the previous weeks Meredith had been amazing. Mackenzie looked at her and saw the strong, beautiful woman she had always seen. She cooked her breakfast, lunch and dinner, took her to the movies and to the mall, and allowed her to have sleepovers with her friends. The only difference was that Derek didn't live with them anyore, and Mackenzie spent her Satuday night at his and Addison's new house, and they drove her home around eleven pm. She hadn't spent the night with them yet, but she liked when they had dinner together. Meredith seemed happy to see her daughter so relaxed about the new situation, and Mackenzie was glad to see her mother work like always, like nothing had changed. But after those first weeks, Meredith did change. She became more silent, less smiley, and instead of spending her free time with Mackenzie, she often retired to what now was only her room.

Mackenzie was starting to be a little scared, because she had never seen her mom so sad and broken. She even skipped her dinner with her dad because she was angry with him for hurting her mom so badly.

That day started like the previous ones. Meredith woke her up for school, packed her lunch and watched her lovingly as she ate her breakfast. Mackenzie returned her look with a worried one, thinking that usually Meredith ate a few cookies with her morning coffee, but she hadn't in a while. She went to school by bus, but once there she couldn't really concentrate on anything, she kept thinking about her mom. It was the first time it happened, becuase she loved school and she always listened to the teachers. During lunch break she called her Aunt Cristina, asking if she could stop by at their house later that day. Now she was home, and found out Meredith hadn't really moved. She was still in her pajamas, and the table was still set for breakfast.

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

She saw Meredith blink before rolling to her side. She placed her hand on Mackenzie's cheek.

"I will be, eventually. Don't be scared, Peanut. I just need to figure out how to live without your father."

Mackenzie cuddled up in her arms, sad. "When's eventually?"

Meredith sighed. "I know I've been absent lately. I'm trying to react, but it's hard. See, you've already fallen into a new routine, but it's harder for me. I thought it would be easier."

"But you were okay." Mackenzie told her feebly.

"I think I wasn't really understanding what was going on. A big part of me was sure your dad would come back to me, and when I realized he really had left me for good, I started to feel really scared." she tightened her grip on Mackenzie, holding her close. "You father and I were married for a very long time. I never thought, not even for a minute, that our love might end some day. I had no doubt that we would spend the rest of our life together, until we got old and senile. I thought we'd watch your children play, holding each other's hands, warming each other in the evening breeze. But I won't have that, not with him at least."

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I hate him."

"No, you don't." Meredith told her softly, smiling for the first time in days. "And I don't want to hear you say it. Ony because I need time to get used to this, it doesn't mean that you have to stay away from your father. I know you love spending time with him and Addison. I always told you from the start that I wouldn't stop your from knowing your biological parents. It actually helps me to think she's related to you, I'd resent her a lot if she was just some random woman, but she's not, she's the woman who made you, who gave life to you, and I'll never thank her enough for that. I have a tons of questions for her, about her pregnancy and about her life, and about your biological grandparents and relatives in general. I'll get there, Mackie, I promise. It's not your dad's fault, and it's not Addison's either, if what they told us it true. So don't worry too much, kid. I just need a little more time, but I'm going to be okay. I'll get used to it and I'll be super happy again and we'll do a lot of things together like we always have. Be patient."

Mackenzie nodded, not completley convinced but slightly reassured by her mother's honest words.

The doorbell rang, and Meredith frowned. "I'm not expecting anyone."

"It's Aunt Cristina, I think. I called her. I was worried about you and I asked her to come..."

Meredith smiled at her daughter, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'm so lucky to have you. So so lucky." She got up, replaced her pajama top with an old sweater, and held her hand out for Mackenzie. "Come on, let's go. Why don't you go do your homeworks for a while, honey? I'd like to talk to your aunt alone for a few minutes, please."

After giving another reassuring smile to Mackenzie, Meredith opened the door.

"Hey." she said quietly.

"Took you long enough, Mer." Cristina rolled her eyes as she and Lexie walked in. "How are you?"

"I'm fine."

Lexie raised her eyebrows.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" Meredith asked, going towards the kitchen.

"Meredith." Lexie sighed.

"Mer, Mackenzie sounded a little too worried on the phone. She said you've been locking yourself up in your room or wandering through the house like a zombie."

Meredith wrinkled her nose. "I admitted I've been feeling a little down lately, but I'm doing my best, guys. My husband left me, I'm still grieving. It takes time."

"_I know_." Cristina told her.

"You've got to be strong for Mackenzie." Lexie added.

"I will." Meredith said firmly, looking at both of them. "I'm going on, slowly but I am. There are ups and downs, and the past few days have been downs, but I talked to Mackenzie and everything will turn out alright. I promised her and myself it would."

"It really will, Mer. You two will get through this mess."

"How is it going with Addison?"

"It's going." Meredith shrugged. "We haven't talked or seen each other yet, but I think Mackenzie's happy to know her, and if she's happy then I'm happy too."

Lexie nodded. "And have you seen Derek?"

"Yeah. It's hard to look at him though. We've met a few times to talk about the divorce and Mackenzie's custody agreements."

Mackenzie, tired of listening to the conversation from the top of the stairs, went to her bedroom and closed the door. She looked at the cellphone she had gotten for her eleventh birthday, forgotten on her desk. She rarely used it, but it turned out to be quite useful sometimes, like in that moment. She wanted to call her dad, she missed his deep and loving voice. She missed him. Slowly, she dialed his number.

_"Princess, is that you?"_

"Hi, Dad."

_"Are you okay?"_ Derek worried. _"You seem sad."_

"I am. Dad, it's not fair. Mom is so so hurt by what you did. You shouldn't have fell in love with someone else."

She heard him sigh heavily, and when he answered he had a sad tone of voice, just like her. _"Mackenzie, I didn't mean to hurt your mom, nor you. I wish I could change what happened so that you and your mom could be happier and we'd still be a family, but I love Addison. I fell in love with her. I can't change that, honey."_

"I know." part of Mackenzie felt like crying, but the other part was happy because talking to her father made her feel close to him. She liked Addison, and she liked the house she and her dad lived in. She mostly liked their new life. The only problem was that now she had to share her dad, and that she felt guilty because her mom was feeling miserable.

_"I have an idea."_ Derek tried to cheer her up. _"In a couple of weeks, when your mom will feel better, we can do something together, you, me and Mom. Like we did before. We can go wherever you want."_

"No. It won't be the same."

_"I'm so sorry, sweetie."_

Mackenzie sighed. "I like Addison, but I miss you!"

_"I miss you too."_ Derek whispered.

"Promise me something, Dad?"

_"Anything, sweetheart."_

"Promise me to help Mom be happier. Please."

_"I'll do whataver I can, I promise."_ Derek smiled despite everything. Mackenzie had always been mature for her age, and he was proud of her for dealing with the mess he created in such a grown-up way.

"Okay." Mackenzie said, feeling better. "I have to go now, there's Aunt Cristina and I want to say hi. Tell Addison I said hi, okay?"

_"I will. And you say hi to your mom from me. I'll pick you up tomorrow after school like we said."_

"Sure, see you tomorrow. Bye, Dad."

Throwing the phone on the bed, Mackenzie ran downstairs, and she smiled widely when she heard Meredith laugh at Cristina's jokes.

**A/N: I don't like this chapter. It's way too sad, more than I planned it to be. I promise you the next ones will be much better. Please stick with it!**


	2. A Family Thanksgiving

**After**

**Chapter Two**

**-A Family Thanksgiving-**

Derek grinned when, walking downstairs after getting dressed, he found Addison crazily pacing the kitchen, several cooking ingredients scattered on the big wooden table.

"Honey, relax."

"I can't relax, Derek!" she stopped, looked at him with worried wide eyes, and threw her arms up in a frustrated gesture. "My parents are going to be here soon, too soon in my opinion, and it's the first thanksgiving ever, in my whole life, that they're spending in my house. I'm supposed to be cooking, but I can't do anything, I haven't even started yet. I should have at least baked something, like, cookies, or, or a cheesecake. And they're hoping Mackenzie will be here so they can meet her, but you haven't called her yet and she'll want to spend today with Meredith anyway so she won't be here. And I'm going to ruin everything."

Derek raised his eyebrows, amused by his girlfriend's rant, and amazed by the little things he learned about her every day. He made two steps forward and placed his lips on her in a soft kiss. After a moment he felt Addison relax in his arms, calmer. He loved how his presence calmed her, and how hers calmed him. It was like they had been waiting for each other for their whole lives, and now they were finally complete.

"I'll help you." Derek told her, looking straight into her piercing eyes. "I grew up in a house full of women and my mother is amazing with food, I'm sure we can manage. As for Mackenzie, I'll call her right now. I don't know what she will say. I'm sure she wants to spend today with Meredith, but I also know she misses both of us. So I'm going to call her and whatever she says, everything will turn out okay, and even if your parents don't meet her today, they will eventually, I promise you that."

He waited until Addison nodded, then pecked her lips again and pulled back, taking his cellphone out of his pocket, smiling at Addison to reassure her as much as he could.

After a few rings, someone answered Derek, but it was Meredith, not Mackenzie.

_"Hey, Mackenzie's in the shower."_ she informed him quickly, no greeting, no sign of being glad he called. Derek hoped that one day he and Meredith would be on good terms again. He couldn't ask to be friends, but he'd be more than happy to have something that resembled it with her.

"Hey." he said, in a casual tone. "Happy Thanksgiving. I was just calling to say hi to Macks and you... and, well, last time Mackenzie was here I mentioned Addison's parents would be in town today, but she never said if she'd come over here or stay with you..." he trailed off, feeling guilty for asking. He had taken a lot from Meredith lately, and every littlest request seemed out of place.

_"Oh. Yeah, she told me, I - I completely forgot, Derek. She told me the night you told her, but I didn't put a deep thought into it and it didn't cross my mind. I'm sorry."_

"It's okay." Derek lied, biting his lip. Addison and her parents would be disappointed. Things between Addison and Mackenzie were good, actually, they easily talked to one another and Derek found out they had a lot of things in common, but there still was a thin trace of awkwardness, and Addison tore herself apart for that.

_"No, no, it's not."_ Meredith insisted. _"I don't want her to have to choose__ between her own parents__. I'm going to talk to her as soon as she gets out of the shower. Look, I'll ask her what she wants to do, and if she says she'd rather stay with me maybe we should let it go today and set another day for them to meet, but if she looks like she wants to stay with both of us we can do that. She can spend lunch with me and dinner with you and Addison, or the other way around. Whichever is best for you. You know I never cook much anyway, so don't worry about messing with my plans."_

Derek sighed relieved. "Okay. Call me when she decides what to do, then. And I think dinner works out better for us."

_"Alright, I'll have her call you soon."_ Meredith agreed. _"Happy Thanksgiving."_

Derek stared at the phone after Meredith hung up, cut off by her abrupt goodbye, then he turned to Addison.

"So?"

"Mackenzie was in the shower, Meredith answered. She said it slipped her mind and Mackenzie didn't bring it up again, but she wants her to see us today. So if Mackenzie says yes, she'll bring her here for dinner. I said dinner's better than lunch so we have more time to cook everything. Maybe your parents could even help us."

Addison nodded, giving him a slight smile. She was feeling better. Things with Derek were amazing, and her relationship with her daughter was growing week after week. She had the feeling Mackenzie would start going to their house more often and for more extended periods. She was even bonding a lot with Bizzy, thing that still astonished her deeply. She still had a lot of concerns, about Meredith, about her father, about the steadiness of what she and Derek had. And when Mackenzie seemed to pull away, it made her crumble. But every time she was told she was going to see her every worry and concern disappeared, and everything gained beauty in Addison's eyes.

"Alright, let's start cooking then. Or at least decide what to cook. I'm completely lost here."

* * *

Addison took a big breath, let out a wide smile, and opened the door.

"Hi, sweetheart." she greeted Mackenzie, letting her in. "I like your dress. You're so beautiful."

"Thank you. You too. I _love_ your shoes."

"I can get you a pair of heels, in a few years."

"Really?"

"Really." Addison nodded. "Where's your mom?"

"Oh, she was paged on the way here."

"Oh, okay." Addison said, hoping it was true and that Meredith didn't just drop Mackenzie off and run away. "Well, your dad is in the other room with my parents. Are you ready to meet them?"

"Are they nice?"

Addison shrugged. "They've been incredibly nice lately, especially my mother. I think it's because of you. They're excited about meeting their only granddaughter."

"But Archer said they didn't want you to have me."

Addison stared at Mackenzie. She seemed hesitant, maybe even scared.

"You're right, they didn't. But think about it, if I had kept you, you wouldn't have the amazing parents you grew up with."

"But I was supposed to live with you. You would have been my mom. Archer would have been my uncle and your parents would have been my grandparents."

"All of that can be real, you know? I'm here now, you can see me anytime you want. And I know for sure that Archer won't miss any chance he gets to come visit you. And the same goes for my parents. They'll fall in love with you as soon as they lay their eyes on you. They'll probably regret not knowing you before. But you know what? I don't. I'm pretty happy about how things turned out. You had a great life, and I studied, and now I met your dad. I'm not sure I would have, had things gone differently."

Mackenzie nodded, inhaling air sharply. "I'm ready."

Addison smiled again, reaching out to take the girl's hand. Mackenzie took it, warming her heart, and Addison squeezed it tight, as a sense of peace invested her.

Derek, Bizzy and Michael were all sitting on the couches, drinking a glass of wine before dinner. Derek stood up when Addison and Mackenzie walked in the room, and he hugged his daughter. "Hey, kid. I missed you. How are you?"

"I'm good." she simply said, her eyes fixed on her biological grandparents. As soon as she saw them she felt somehow linked to them. Thinking back in time, the same had happened with Addison, though she didn't know why back then.

"Mom, Dad, this is Mackenzie." Addison introduced her, making sure not to call her parents by their names. She didn't want Mackenzie to think they hadn't had any kind of relationship up until that moment. She was about to add 'my daughter' after Mackenzie's name, but she opted for leaving it out. They obviously knew she was, and she also was Derek's daughter, which was pretty confusing and made them both think about Meredith and how they destroyed her life, while that night they only wanted to feel like a family.

"Hi."

"Hello, Mackenzie. I'm Bizzy, Addison's mother. It's so good to meet you. I've dreamed this moment for a long time."

"It's good to meet you, too. I don't really know my mom's father, and I never met her mother. I'm happy to have maternal grandparents now." Mackenzie told them in a somewhat shy voice.

"You can call us Bizzy and Michael, for now. Maybe one day you can start calling us Grandma and Grandpa, but I think our names work out just fine at the moment. Or you can call me Captain. Most people call me that." Michael said.

Mackenzie laughed. "I think I'll go with Michael."

"So, Mackenzie," Bizzy requested her full attention again. After more than a decade of resenting Addison for getting pregnant and at the same time resenting herself for making her give up on being a mother, she was impatient to learn more about her grandchild. "Come here, sit next to me. We still have a while before dinner is ready. Please, tell me something about you."

Addison and Derek shared a smiley wink as they listened to Mackenzie listing her hobbies and telling Bizzy about her very favorite book and about how much she loved roller-skating. Derek wrapped his arms around Addison's waist, resting his cheek against hers. He felt incredibly lucky. Things weren't perfect yet, but he knew for sure they would be, and he wouldn't be anywhere else in that moment, because being with the woman he loved and his – _their_ – daughter overcame the uncertainties of life.

* * *

Meredith called shortly after dinner, while they were about to have some cake.

"Hi, Mom! I'm having so much fun!" Mackenzie squealed into the phone.

_"I'm glad you are, honey. Look, can I talk to Dad for a second?"_

"Sure – Dad, Mom wants to tell you something."

"Hey, Mer."

_"Derek, I'm sorry, I only have a minute. I won't be able to come home tonight, I'm stuck in surgery. Is it a problem if Mackenzie stays over night?"_

"Of course not! She's having a lot of fun, it's okay."

_"Good."_ Meredith sighed in relief. _"Thank you."_

"No prob- oh, crap. I've just been paged too."

Meredith stayed silent for a while. Derek could hear her think. He knew she was forcing herself to like Addison because she was Mackenzie's biological mother, but he also knew that the cheating had spoiled any good relationship they could have.

_"Does she look comfortable enough to spend the night with Addison and her parents without you? There are a lot of emergency cases coming in, Derek. You'll be stuck here for most of the night, I'm actually surprised they haven't paged Addison."_

"She took the week off." Derek explained. "And Mackenzie is ecstatic, really. Right, Macks? How do you feel about sleeping over here with Addison?"

Mackenzie's eyes grew big and she nodded, swallowing the huge bite of the cake Bizzy made, decorated with Autumn leaves, before grabbing the phone from Derek's hand and telling her mother she would be just fine, that she was happy, that she was ready to spend the night with them.

Looking at Addison, Derek noticed she had tears in her eyes.

After Mackenzie handed him his phone back, Derek pecked Addison's lips and placed a soft kiss on his daughter's head, he wished everybody a good night and left.

Addison, who was feeling more and more at ease, went back to her slice of cake.

"Can we watch a movie?" Mackenzie asked her.

"Sure, of course we can. I'm sure you'll find something you like if you look through my DVDs." Addison told her.

"Can I have some more cake, please?"

Addison raised her eyebrows. Mackenzie had the most innocent look on her face, but Addison wondered if she thought she'd spoil her rotten to make up for the fist eleven years of her life.

"Of course you can, here, hand me your plate." Bizzy cut in, giving another huge slice to her granddaughter.

Addison smiled. She liked the new Bizzy. She was nice, caring, and willing to compromise. She finally was the mother she always wished to have.

Half an hour later, she, Bizzy and Mackenzie were on the couch watching _Breakfast at Tiffany's_, while the Captain retired upstairs to the guestroom, calling it a night.

Mackenzie cuddled between Addison and Bizzy, happy. After a while, she rested her head on Addison's arm, leaning against her.

"Are you tired?" Addison asked her, not wanting the moment to end.

"No, not yet. I just feel comfortable like this."

Addison's heart raced in joy.

"Me too. Don't move."

"Okay."

"You're sweet together. Beautiful." Bizzy told her daughter and granddaughter.

"Shh." the eleven-year-old gently hushed the two women when her favorite scene of the movie came.

Mackenzie fell asleep towards the end of the movie. Addison would have picked her up, but she was too heavy for her, so she shook her gently.

"Sweetie, come on, let's get you to bed."

She helped her up the stairs, took off her shoes, and pulled the covers of the bed over her. She kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, my sweet angel."

Addison went back downstairs to clean up, and was surprised to find her father in the kitchen, along with her mother.

"Captain! I thought you were already sleeping."

"Oh, no, I was just making some calls. I want to talk to you."

"Go ahead."

"I don't think you're doing the right thing."

Addison was taken aback by the sudden bluntness. In the past few weeks her father hadn't shown to be in disagreement with her choices. Mostly, he hadn't said anything, which to Addison meant he had no judgmental critics to express.

"Excuse me?"

"You just tore a little girl's family apart. You seduced a man into cheating on his wife and calling off his marriage. You told your boss in New York you would go back in six months, but you're here, in Seattle, working for someone else, playing family with someone else's child."

"She's my child, and you know it."

"No, Addison. She's those people's child."

"You don't have the right to tell me she's not mine. Because she is. She is. I made her. I kept her inside of me for nine whole months. I pushed her out of my body." Addison's voice was getting higher and angrier. "And she was taken away from me. She was raised by other people – good ones, but they're not me, and it's not the same. Now I'm here, and I won't let you fuss about my behavior and my choices with my daughter in the house."

"The thing is, Addison, that you're a slut. I raised a slut. You seduced that boy when you were young, and you forced him into something none of you was ready for, and now you seduced that Derek, making him leave his wife for you."

"Michael..."

"Let me finish."

Addison looked at Bizzy. Her mother had been so good lately, she made up for everything that happened before. But the Captain...

"People are starting to talk, Addison. You're a Forbes Montgomery, for heaven's sake. Live up to your name."

"You don't have to worry about that for much longer, _father_." Addison spit out. "I won't be a Montgomery forever."

"Derek proposed?" Bizzy piped up.

"No, but we talked about it, and we're getting married someday. And I can assure you that there will be nothing left of my name in me, after that."

"You're just so delusional, Addison. Delusional and disappointing. I never thought I would consider my own daughter a failure."

"And I never thought I'd say this, but I don't care. I don't care about what you think. Mackenzie is my daughter, she's been mine from the moment I knew she existed. I didn't seduce Fabian, it was a mutual decision we made out of reciprocal love, and you have no right to say he stepped back, because you made _me_ step back. He couldn't have stepped up even if he wanted to."

"He could have married you."

"You wouldn't have allowed it, and we both know it, so don't act like you would. As for Derek, we're in love. End of. It's none of your business, not even a little, because the first thing I'll do tomorrow morning is to go get my last name changed to Forbes, and I won't be your daughter anymore."

Slamming the door of the kitchen behind her, Addison flew out of the room, crossed the living room and went upstairs again. She needed a warm bath and to hear Derek's voice; after that, she would go to bed.

But she needed to check on Mackenzie first. She wasn't fully asleep yet when she left her room, and she wanted to make sure the yelling hadn't woken her up, that she hadn't heard those awful things.

Mackenzie wasn't in her new bedroom, though. She wasn't in the bathroom, nor in the guestroom, nor in the study. She wasn't in the house at all.

* * *

**Julia, this chapter is for you, for helping me making it better and for being such a good friend!**


	3. Once Upon A Time

**After**

**Chapter Three**

**-Once Upon A Time-**

Derek somehow managed to get home in a little less than fifteen minutes, thankfully for Addison who was panicking despite her mother's reassuring words.

"Meredith can't come yet."

"Does she hate me? Oh, Derek, I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault." Derek told her, giving Michael a disgusted look. "Let's go look for her. You said you and your father had been fighting only for a few minutes, she can't be that far away. Adds, go in direction of the park; I'll go look around her school. She probably went to a place she knows well."

"I want to look for her as well." Bizzy pointed out.

"No, it's better if you stay here in case she comes back. She'll want to see someone she likes."

Derek wanted to punch Michael, but they were already wasting time talking, they had to go. Fast. Time furthered the distance more and more.

Bizzy unwillingly nodded.

Addison watched Derek walk away through her tearful eyes. Brushing away the salty tears that had fallen, she started to walk towards the park. It was only three blocks away from their house, but it was really dark, no one was around, and Addison shivered at the thought of her young girl alone in that cold moonless night.

"Mackenzie?" she called out loudly. "Mackenzie, honey? Are you here? Please answer me."

Addison walked around for a few minutes, ready to catch the slightest sign of her daughter's presence, as fear of losing her, of living a life far from her, arose inside her.

"I'm here."

Addison jumped slightly. She turned around, trying to identify the exact place where the voice came from.

"Mackenzie?" she called again, softer.

Mackenzie emerged from behind a big oak tree.

"Honey, what are you doing here? We were scared."

As the girl walked closer to her, Addison saw she had been crying. Instinctively, she opened her arms and wrapped them around her daughter's body. "Everything's okay. I promise. I'm sorry you heard us fight. We'll talk about it. But right now just focus on the fact that you're safe and that everything is okay."

Mackenzie sniffed, but nodded. "I don't want to go home yet." she said. "I need to talk to you, alone. Can we stay here?"

"What about we go home and close up in your room so nobody bothers us but we're at least warm and comfortable?"

"No. Please."

Addison sighed. "Alright, but let me call your dad first."

"You called him? I only went for a walk!"

"I'm known for panicking when bad things happen. And you not being in the house while you were supposed to, at night, is a bad thing. So don't ever do it again, please."

"Did my mom come too?"

"No, your dad told her but was in surgery, I think."

Mackenzie didn't add anything, and Addison pulled away slightly so that she could phone Derek.

After the brief dialogue with her boyfriend, Addison looked at Mackenzie again. "Let's sit over there, alright?"

The girl nodded, following her closely. Addison didn't let go of her hand.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I have questions." Mackenzie told her. "I waited to ask because I wanted us to have a stronger bond first, but now I want to know. Your father made me think about it."

"You can ask me whatever you need to know. Always."

"Does my biological father know about me?"

Addison's heart stopped for a second. She knew the question was going to come sooner or later, but she wasn't expecting it at that very moment. "Yes." she said. "He knows."

Mackenzie took a moment to think about the reply.

"Who was the first person to know about me?"

"It was him, your father."

"Did you _really_ want to keep me?"

"Of course I wanted to keep you." Addison was getting a little emotional.

"But you wanted to study more than you wanted me." Mackenzie's lower lip trembled slightly.

Addison pushed back a wave of pain. "What I wanted was being a good mother, and I didn't know how to do that. No one was willing to teach me, to help me. I was young, and I was raised to reach great aims. My mother wasn't exactly...motherly. I knew I couldn't do it by myself and I chose to make you happy instead of myself. I would have been really, truly happy with you in my life. I am happy now."

Mackenzie inhaled air and sniffed. "Okay. I'm sorry, I know you've always loved me, I wasn't doubting it. Next question. Did you choose a name for me?"

Addison shook her head, this time with a small smile. "I only called you 'my baby'. But I think I would have named you Ashley."

"What if I was a boy?"

Addison thought about it for a while, going back in time. "I liked John."

Mackenzie's lips parted in a bright smile. "I like them."

Addison ran her hand up and down the girl's back. "Do you have other questions?"

"Well... why is your dad so mean?"

"Oh, sweetie. He just – he's all about appearances, you know? He was ashamed of me when I was pregnant, but I let him convince me to let other people adopt you, and he moved past that. At least, he looked like he did. Now I broke your parents' marriage – _I did_, honey – and I'm back to being a -"

"A slut?" Mackenzie suggested, repeating her grandfather's words.

Addison frowned. "Don't say that word."

"Hey, I wasn't saying that _you_-"

"I know, but I don't like it anyway."

Mackenzie stared at her. "Did they call you that?"

"No, not really." Addison shrugged. "But I'm sure my parents' friends and acquaintances were convinced I was."

"I'm ready to go back." Mackenzie said after a couple of minutes of silence, during which Addison had gone back to her teenage years. "But I'd rather not see your father for a while. He made me really angry."

"I'd rather not see him either." Addison sighed, wondering if her new relationship with her mother was going to be ruined by that night's events.

* * *

Addison parked near Mackenzie's school. Meredith was free that afternoon, and Derek could have easily gone pick her up, but the now twelve-year-old specifically requested her.

It was a sunny day, quite warm, with no clouds. Addison was wearing her favorite sunglasses. A few minutes later she heard the bell ring in the distance, and children started to walk out of the building in flows.

Addison spotted Mackenzie talking to two other girls her age, laughing at something they said, at their private jokes. When the girl saw her she waved, waiting for Mackenzie to join her.

"Hi!" she greeted her, in her usual foamy way.

"Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?"

"As always, nothing happened though. You? What did you do?"

"I cleaned the house." Addison groaned. "And then I tried to cook."

Mackenzie widened her eyes, faking horror.

"Hey!" Addison protested. "It didn't end bad. You can safely taste it this time."

"Finally." the girl giggled, and Addison jokingly rolled her eyes.

"How about we put your schoolbag in my car and then go get an ice-cream?"

"It sounds like a good plan."

"Okay, let's go."

Twenty minutes later they were sitting in a nice ice-cream shop, and Mackenzie was happily licking her cone.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Addison asked.

"Because I need to ask you something."

"Alright, shoot."

"I want you to tell me about my father. My biological father. I talked to my parents about it, and they're okay with me knowing him. I see _you_ every week, after all."

Addison straightened on the chair. "What do you want to know exactly?"

"Everything." Mackenzie simply said. "You know that night on Thanksgiving when I ran away? I actually wanted to ask about _him_, but I was scared I wouldn't like the answers so I didn't. But curiosity is killing me. I want to know where I come from."

Addison gave her a sad smile, going back in time once more. "You'll like the answers, I promise. First of all, his name is Fabian. We are the same age, and we met at school, at prom. I was there with another boy but he was a total idiot and I was bored, so I went for a walk and I saw Fabian on a bench. We started to talk. We started to meet, talked about our interests, we soon found out we had a lot of things in common. One day, after a few weeks, he said we should be a couple, because after all we acted like one. I hadn't thought about our meetings in that way before, but we saw each other almost every day, for hours and hours, and we never got tired. When he said it, I realized I liked him a lot. So we started to hang out in a different way, like boyfriend and girlfriend. He took me to meet his family. He has two older brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother. Their names are Thomas, James, Karen and Colin. I found them all very nice. His mother didn't work, but his father was an actor. Well, he played in a local theater, he didn't make much money, but the plays were all amazing and so was he. Fabian and I were together for a few months. Then we decided we were ready for something more, because we wanted to feel closer before I left for college – and I'll skip the details – but I got pregnant. I told him in the park behind our high school. He was playing his guitar. He got pale, let it almost slip out of his hands. I was crying because I was scared of my parents' reaction, but most of all of his. I didn't want him to reject me. Then he kissed me. He started to say a lot of corny thing about us and you, and I believed it all. I was so confident. But at the same time I could see he was just as frightened as me, and I knew we couldn't afford to have a child without my parents' economical support. His family couldn't help us in that way. After my parents reacted in the wrong way, I met up with Fabian and told him that I had to leave for college, that I couldn't have you."

"What did he say?" Mackenzie interrupted her, unable to keep quiet for longer. It was a sad story.

"He cried." Addison told her. "He kept saying that he loved me. But in that moment, our love wasn't enough."

"You were right." Mackenzie said when she realized Addison wasn't going to add more. "I instantly liked him. I'd like to meet him so much."

"I've never seen him again after that."

"Do you still have his phone number?" the girl asked.

"_What?_"

"His phone number! We could call him. I know it's been more twelve years but I'd really really like it."

"I never deleted his number, but I'm not sure if he changed it or something."

"Let's try? Please?"

Addison felt uneasy at the thought of calling her daughter's biological father after so many years of nothing, but she couldn't say no to those eyes.

"Alright, I'll let it ring three times, and if he doesn't answer, we'll let it go. Maybe we can try another time."

"Okay." Mackenzie agreed.

Addison took out her phone, scrolled down the familiar names until she got to the letter F. "Here it is." she took a big breath, showed Mackenzie she was pressing 'call', and waited.

_One, two, thr-_

_"Hello?"_

"Fabian?" Addison managed to ask, though she was sure it was him. It was his voice.

_"Who...?"_

"It's Addison. Addison Montgomery."

_"Oh. _Oh_."_

"I know. I know, I've disappeared. I'm sorry about that, I didn't have a choice."

"Tell him about me!" Mackenzie ordered, agitated.

"She's here."

_"She? You mean _her_? You mean you had a girl? _We had a daughter?_"_

"Yes. A couple adopted her a few hours after I gave birth, but a little less than a year ago I looked for them and now she's here. She'd like to meet you someday."

_"I'd love that too."_

"Do you want to talk to him?" Addison asked the twelve-year-old, covering the phone with her hand.

Mackenzie shook her head. "Another time."

"She said she wants to talk to you, but not right now. She's still adjusting, you know? She's amazing."

_"What's her name?"_

"It's Mackenzie. Her mother chose it."

_"It's beautiful. Tell her – tell her that I love her. That I've thought about her every day."_

"I will." Addison promised.

_"Addison, are you happy?"_

"Yes. I am. I am way more than happy."

_"I'm glad everything worked out for you. I'm happy too. Really happy. We made the right choice, right?"_

"Up until one year ago, I would have said no. But now – yes, we did, Fabian."

_"We did."_ he repeated. _"Well – I'll call you again soon, is that okay?"_

"Sure, or I'll call you. Mackenzie and I will talk about it with her parents, and then I'll let you know when. She definitely wants to see you though."

_"Great. I can't wait. I can't believe you called me, Addison. It seems so surreal."_

"It does." Addison agreed. "Believe me, it's real. And it's life-changing. But it's also the most perfect thing that can happen in someone's life."

* * *

That night, Addison was glad to see Derek. When Mackenzie brought up Fabian, she was scared that old feelings were going to alter the new ones, because she didn't get closure with her former love story. But Derek was amazing, and Addison felt more complete than ever whenever she saw him, whenever he was around.

"I love you, Derek."

He smiled, jumped on the bad, still half-wet after his shower, and enveloped her in a hug.

"I love you two, Adds."

In that moment, whatever doubt or fear Addison had ever had in her life disappeared, whatever unresolved matter found a solution, and she understood that Fabian was her past, Derek her future, and that Mackenzie was what tied them all. And that she wouldn't have it in any other way.

* * *

**A/N: I felt this was needed, I hope you liked it.**


	4. Falling In Love

**After**

**Chapter Four**

**-Falling In Love-**

Meredith woke up feeling different that morning. She was the same person she was the previous night, yes - but not quite completely. There was something in her that had matured, and something that had disappeared. She stretched her arms, glanced out of the window in the semi-dark room, and let her body fall back down under the blue duvet. After a few minutes of calm and pure bliss, during which she anticipated a girl day with her daughter baking and laughing like they hadn't done in a while due to her long shifts at the hospital, another thought crossed her mind, intense and joyful. Derek hand't been her first thought. Yes, he had eventually creeped into her mind, but not painfully, not with love. He was just someone she used to feel complete with, but someone in her past. She was happy. In the past weeks, having to talk to Derek and Addison, and hearing Mackenzie talk about their house and her new bedroom and their plans, had simply felt like being stabbed. But now she was starting to rise back up. She spent many wonderful years with Derek, they got married and had a daughter, and their life together wasn't something she'd willingly leave behind. She only had to accept that things were different now. That Mackenzie had two mothers, two houses, and divorced parents. That she didn't have a husband anymore, but that she still had plently of other people and things she'd give her life for. So it wasn't so bad after all. She was sure she would need a little more time, but she was feeling better, lighter, as if the worst part was finally over and she could focus on building something new. She got to a milestone and there were more to come, and she was ready for all of them, aware of the fact that they would only add positive experiences to her journey of life.

"Mom, are you awake?" Mackenzie peeked into the room.

"Come over here, Macks." she patted on the bed beside her. When Derek left it felt too big for her, but she realized it was actually comfortable to have more space for herself when she slept.

"Are you home or working today?"

"Home." Meredith placed a kiss on Mackenzie's nose, who rolled her eyes. "What do you want to do? Nail polish? Shopping? Cooking and baking?"

"All of them! Minus shopping, though. I just want to stay home with you."

"I agree." Meredith let out a relaxed sigh. "Should we have breakfast in bed? I haven't done that in at least two years, your father and I got way too busy with work. And I think this was one of the few nights I've managed to sleep deeply, so I'm extra hungry now."

Mackenzie laughed. "I totally agree with you. Come on, let's go!"

She started to walk away, but Meredith grabbed her arm. "Not yet, I want to rest a little more. Lay down with me, please."

Mackenzie did as her mother said, watching her carefully. She seemed happier than usual. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"I'm more than okay, honey. I'm feeling great. This morning I woke up and I was feeling the happiest person on this earth."

Mackenzie failed to hide her relief. She knew what her mom needed was time, but she felt guilty to be happy with Addison and her father if her mother was miserable. She really wanted her to be happy again too, so they could all go back to normal, their new normal.

"Do you think it's gonna last?"

"Yes." Meredith answered honestly. "I really feel it inside. Everything is going back to its place, even if it all has changed. But it doesn't matter, because you're still here, and I'm still here, and we're both healthy and living at our bests. I promise you I'm done dwelling on my pain. It's gone."

Mackenzie snuggled closer to her. "Thank you for being happy again. I missed the happy you."

"Good, because the happy me is not going anywhere for a very long time, possibly forever."

Mackenzie kissed her mother's cheek before jumping up. Meredith was always amazed by her never-ending energy. "I'll go get something for breakfast. Wait here, Mom."

Meredith watched her leave the room with a peaceful smile on her lips, thinking that her life was perfect after all, and that all se needed was her daughter, her only reason to keep breathing. Mackenzie was what made her feel better every time, what made her want to be the best.

Twenty minutes later the girl walked back in with a tray full of food.

"What did you make me?" Meredith asked, hungry, sitting up as Mackenzie placed the tray in front of her.

"There's toast, jam, two croissants, milk, coffee, juice... and eggs."

"It's all perfect, my little cook." Meredith said, tasting and egg. "You should consider a culinary career."

Mackenzie laughed, risking to chock on her warm milk. "I though you and Dad wanted me to be a doctor."

Meredith shrugged. "You'd rock at whatever you did, so really, choose anything. I'd be extra proud if you were a doctor though."

Mackenzie nodded shyly. She really loved Addison's job, it amazed her. Everything her biological mom did was useful and flawless and it felt like the dream life.

"So... have you made a decision about meeting Fabian yet?" she and Mackenzie had talked about it ten days or so before, and since Meredith noticed the girl's insecurity, she let it go. She knew Mackenzie needed a slight push, though, because deep indide she really wanted to meet her birth father.

"I don't know." Mackenzie confessed. "I met Addison before I knew she was my mother, so when you told me it didn't feel too bad to see her again. But I have no garantee that all the things Addison has been telling me about Fabian are true, and I don't want to be disappointed, it means too much to me."

Meredirh stroke her cheek. "I'm sure Addison is telling you the truth, and that Fabian won't disappoint you at all. I'm also sure he's just as nervous as you are, so I wouldn't worry excessively if I were you. He'll be happy to meet you and you won't regret it. And if you happen to be unhappy about it - and I'm sure you won't - at least you'll know for sure, and you can go on with your life."

Mackenzie nodded slowly. "Maybe we could meet for a hot chocolate on Monday after school, since Addison is supposed to come pick me up."

"That's a great idea!" Meredith encouraged her. "Addison will be with you the whole time, and I can come as well if you need me."

"Really?" Mackenzie asked with wide eyes, surprised. Meredith had only been in the same room with Addison in one occasion for five minutes, and they hadn't talked.

"Yes, I need to actually talk to her sooner or later. I told you I want to ask her some things, and I'd also like to meet Fabian. They're the two people who made you, they're important to me. It only got a little clouded in my head because Addison is with your dad now and it hurt me at first. I'm accepting it now."

"I'd like it if you came, but only if you're completely comfortable with Addison. I can only go with you, or only with her, othewise."

"No, I'll come." Meredith insited. "I really do want things to get fixed between us, and one of us needs to make the first step. It has to be me. Now, why don't you go phone her, so that she can talk to Fabian and figure out the details? I'll go get all our nail polishes and make-up stuff in the meanwhile."

* * *

Two days later, on Monday, Meredith went to work extra early, making sure to let everybody know she would leave around two because she had something to do with her daughter. She felt light-hearted, at ease, at peace.

"Dr Grey, Dr O'Brien asked if you can check on his post-ops, he has an emergency." an intern informed her, handing over three charts.

"Of course, thank you, Hayden. Let's see, room 2209. Follow me."

"Good morning!" Meredith said cheerfully as she walked into the room with a big smile.

"Oh, good morning. I see they got me a new doctor. I can't say I'm disapponted about that though."

Meredith laughed. It wasn't strange to hear male patients try to flirt with her.

"I'm Dr Grey, and you must be... Finn Dandridge, am I right?"

"I am indeed."

"Good. Hayden, present the case, please."

"Mr Dandridge had been suffering of migrains and sight problems for a couple of months. He went to his family doctor where he was suggested to get a check up with a neurologist. He was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, and Dr O'Brien removed it yesterday without any complication."

"Very good, Hayden. Now, Mr Dandridge -"

"Call me Finn, please."

"- Finn, I have to check how your incision is healing, and I also have to make sure your eyes are working properly. Sight complications aren't as rare as you may think after brain surgeries. Now I'll show you my indexes, I'll move them to the sides of your face and, without moving, you have to tell me when you stop seeing them. Did you understand?"

"Sure, go on."

Meredith did as she explained, and Finn stopped her. "How did I go?" he asked, a slight cockiness in his voice.

"Everything is good, but it's important that you come in for a check up two weeks after your release, or any time you feel like you're not seeing properly. Apart from that, your cut is clear and you should go home in a week if nothing changes."

Meredith was about to politely leave when her intern's pager went of.

"It's the ER, Dr Grey. They need me."

"Go, Hayden. You're doing a great job today."

"Ehm, thank you." the intern said with a blush, running out of the room.

"Well, I have some work to do now, Finn, but I'll stop by to check on you in a few hours."

"Wait - I was wondering... would you like to have a coffee with me, sometime, when I'm out of here?"

Meredith, surprised, took a step back, watching her patient with her mouth slightly open. "Oh. Oh! Well, I - I don't know..."

"Don't think about it." Finn told her, waving his hand in the air. "I'm known for being impulsive and intrusive. Forget I asked."

"No, it's just - I've just gotten out of a hard time, and things are just setting back into place and I wasn't expecting it. I'll, uhm, think about it."

Finn shook his head slowly, but his smile didn't fade. "You're not obliged to say yes, Dr Grey. But I'm certainly not going to tell you not to think about it." he winked, and Meredith laughed.

"I have to go, I'll see you, Finn."

Meredith checked on her other patients, helped a few interns in the pit, and had a very long lunch with Cristina, Lexie and Callie. It was a slow day and most of the surgeons who didn't have scheduled operations were free. She told her friends about Finn, and they all told her to go out with him, but Meredith wasn't one hundred per cent sure. Finn was a stranger, and he was a patient. Plus, she had just gotten divorced, and she wanted to be single for a little longer before dating another man.

"I don't know, guys, as I told Finn, I'll think about it. It's been a long time since someone asked me out. I have to go to Mackenzie's school now, anyway. Stop bothering me. And don't go see him!" she ordered Cristina, who was dead curious and wanted to see how good-looking this Finn was. "Lexie, keep an eye on her. If I end up saying yes, I don't want you to scare him off!"

"Okay, okay." Cristina rolled her eyes. "Go get your kid, she won't want you to be late."

Meredith waved at them and hurried towards her car; talking to her friends she lost truck of time and traffic would slow her down even more.

When she parked in front of the school, Mackenzie stood up from a bench and walked towards her as she rolled the window down.

"Hey, Mom!"

"Hi sweetheart, am I late? I'm sorry."

"Only a couple of minutes, don't worry." she put her school back on the back seat and sat next to Meredith, putting her seatbealt on.

"So, Addison's waiting for us at Giorgio's, right?"

Mackenzie nodded. "Yep."

"Okay, we'll get there in ten minutes. Are you nervous?"

Mackenzie rubbed her sweaty hands on her skirt and sighed heavily. "During the third period I realized he'll already be there when we arrive, and it's a little scary. Why do I feel like this, Mom?"

"It's normal, sweetie, calm down, okay? It's going to turn out great."

Mackenzie nodded again. "I know. Distract me in the meanwhile, though. What did you do at work?"

Meredith couldn't help but blush thinking about Finn. Despite everything, his attentions were flattering. "Not much really, I didn't get to see many patients. Your father on the other hand was stuck in surgery! I didn't see him, but his name was on the board all morning."

"Mom? Did you _blush_?"

"No! What? I didn't!"

Mackenzie giggled. "What happened, Mom? And you know that if you don't tell me I'll just ask Aunt Cristina."

"Fine!" Meredith gave in. "A patient asked me out."

"Cool! Did you say yes?"

"I said I'd think about it."

"But Mom, why? You're allowed to date, you know. You deserve someone at your side."

"I have you." Meredith pointed out. "I'm pretty content with my life as it is now, finally."

"I meant _a man_, Mom." the twelve-year-old rolled her eyes. "You should say yes. It can't hurt you, right?" she shrugged. "It's only a date."

Meredith sighed. "Apparently you're all for a yes, uh? Alright, I'll go on a date with him, but only this once!"

"Good." Mackanzie answered, leaning back satisfied. "It was exactly what I wanted."

"We're here." Meredith told her, glancing at her as she parked. "We'll have to walk for about five minutes."

Mackenzie nodded. Her throat was suddenly dry. Meredith squeezed her hand.

"You're gonna have fun, Princess. You'll even forget Addison and I are with you, after a while. Think about it, all your questions will be answered within an hour, you'll get a free ice-cream or hot chocolate or whatever you want, and Spring Break starts the day after tomorrow so you don't even have homework. To me, it sounds like quite the perfect afternoon."


	5. Happy Endings

**After**

**Chapter Five**

**-Happy Ending-**

_Flashback - Vivid Dreaming_

_It was surreal, like a dream. But it was also vivid. Mackenzie was vividly dreaming, or she felt like that, at least. She perceived her mother let go of her hand, say hi to Addison, take a seat at the table, glance at her from time to time as they chatted. She saw Fabian cry. Her throat was dry, her breath was irregular, but she felt joy spread from her heart through her whole body. He was there, in front of her. He looked like a dad. His hair was of an indefinite shade of blondish brow, mixed with some gray. His eyes were brown, profound. Smiley. Fabian let his shoulder bag fall. Mackenzie watched as two books hit the ground, hypnotized. Then she felt Fabian's strong arms grab her, hold her. He wouldn't get enough of holding her, he wouldn't. Mackenzie inhaled his scent. It reminded her of her father. Maybe it was a dad thing. Fabian's beard tickled her. She laughed. Fabian eyed her, trying to see through her. He did. It felt like they had already met a thousand times. Fabian showed her a photograph of a baby girl with a teddy bear and a pink polka-dotted hat. "It's you." he said. "Addison's brother took it when you were five minutes old. She sent it to me. I always keep it in my wallet. You're close to my heart." Then he showed her another picture. "These are my boys, Duncan and Elliot. I tell them about you, even if they can't understand yet." There weren't other words. They were good without. Addison and Meredith talked for a little longer, and Fabian kept hugging Mackenzie. They stayed silent. It was when Meredith started the car and drove her home that she realized her vivid dream was her true beautiful joyful life._

_One Year Later_

Mackenzie's eyes burst open, and she squealed, pushing back the covers of her bed. She put her slippers and her dressing gown on, and she bolted out of the room and into Meredith's, jumped on the bed, kissed her cheek between giggles.

"Merry Christmas, little monster."

"Merry Christmas!" Mackenzie pulled Meredith's duvet up to cover her body. "Where's Finn?"

"He didn't stay the night."

"Why? He hasn't stayed yet. I'm not going to be scandalized, you know."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "He had somewhere to be at."

"Sure, whatever. Where are my presents, Mom?"

"In the attic, as every year. You can go get them as I wash my face. After thirteen years of motherhood, I still feel like a zombie when you wake me up this early on Chistmas morning."

Mackenzie fleed out of the room with a crystal laughter, and when she got back she found her mother sitting on the bed with a satisfied smile.

"I know they're only three, but you'll get more from Finn, Addison and your dad. Plus, they're really big, aren't they?"

"They are, I want to know what's inside. Question: why do you always wrap them so perfectly when you know I'm just gonna tear the paper off?"

"Because I want them to look the best for you, silly. Try to imagine how you'd feel if I gave you presents wrapped up in used paper, or if I didn't wrap them up at all."

Mackenzie shugged with a grin. "They'd still be the best presents of the world. I love the wrapping paper though."

With a wink, Mackenzie opened the presents. Meredith watched as she jumped of joy seeing her very first computer, a set of clothing (jeans, sweater, underwear, shoes) and a stuffed basket.

"What is it?"

Meredith merely smiled. "Oh, you'll get it later, when Finn comes over. It's only part one of the present."

Mackenzie frowned with curiosity, but she didn't say anything. She had an idea of what the basket might mean, but she didn't want to come to a conclusion too fast.

"Okay, I'll wait I guess. My present for you is in my room, Mommy. I'll go get it."

When she walked back in, Meredith made her sit next to her, their backs were leaning against the headboard, and she enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Open it." Mackenzie ordered sweetly. When her parents were still married she and her dad picked the gifts together, but now she had started to shop for her mom alone, and she liked it. She was proud of what she got for her in the past year, and she was sure Meredith would like this present as well.

"Oh, it's beautiful, honey."

It was a silver bracelet. Of course Derek had given her part of the money, but Mackenzie chose it by herself. When she saw it in the jewellery shop she immediately thought about her mom.

"Do you really like it?" she asked.

"Of course I do, I love it. It's perfect. You know me well, Pumpkin. Thank you."

Meredith placed a big loving kiss on her daughter's head, pulling her even closer.

"So, Mom, now that presents have been open... what's the plan for today?"

"Well, Finn is supposed to come over here for lunch. His mother went to Montana to see some relatives, and he took the chance to spend some time alone with us." Meredith looked at her daughter to catch any glimpse of disappointment, but her eyes met a huge smile.

"Finally! I was starting to think you were hiding him from me, sometimes."

"I wasn't, I promise." Meredith laughed. "He's going to be over more, in the near future."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I think he's pretty much going to stick around."

"Good." Mackenzie gave her a firm nod.

"And I know I said I'd drop you off at your father's house in the mid afternoon..."

"But?" the young girl asked. She was looking forward to it just like she couldn't wait to have lunch with her mom and Finn, and she couldn't believe Meredith didn't want to drive her there.

"But I thought that Finn and I could - if Addison and your father agree - have dinner over there as well, with you."

It took Mackenzie a moment to realize what her mother's words really meant, then her eyes widened and she threw herself at Meredith in utter joy. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"You're welcome, Princess. We got there, didn't we?"

"I'm so happy, Mom."

"I'm happy too, Macks. And hey, I've got one more present." slowly, she leaned in and whispered something in her daughter's ear. Something that would change everything forever, bringing more beautiful things to their already perfect lives.

* * *

"Guess what. Guess what!" Mackenzie ran into the house, bright in her cheerfullness.

"What happened?" Addison asked her, moving to her left before the girl crashed against her.

"Mom is pregnant! And Finn got me a puppy. But Mom is pregnant!" she yelled. She had made sure she could tell Addison and Derek in the car, and her mother agreed. Now she and Finn were slowly walking inside, but Mackenzie was very excited and she ran.

"Your mother is what?" Derek, entering the sitting room as he fixed his tie, asked his daughter. He felt numb. He couldn't have heard right.

But Mackenzie was nodding vehemently, with a big smile on her rosy face.

"It can't be true." he whispered, more to himself than to the young girl. He was happy for his ex-wife, he truly was. But it meant his inability to have biological children was confirmed forever. That knowledge wouldn't go away, it wouldn't disappear.

"Honey, do you need a minute?" he heard Addison's voice get to him as she brushed her fingers against his forearm.

He nodded, following his concerned girlfriend as she slowly walked to the kitchen. There, she stopped, leaning against the glass table. Addison looked at him with her beautiful eyes, waiting.

"Meredith never wanted to check which one of us was infertile. She was sure it was her, but she didn't want to know for sure. She hated herself for it for a while. Then we got Mackenzie and everything changed. Everything was perfect. I - I got used to the fact that I'd never have blood-related children, and Meredith did as well. Now she's pregnant... and it means that she can live her dream, and I can't."

"There are other ways, Derek. Medicine can offer us plenty of ways to have children. You can have blood-related kids. We can try. It might be impossible anyway, but we can try."

Derek nodded again, leaning in to hug her. Addison always made everything better, she was his heaven in the middle of hell.

"Let's go back in there, shall we? We should congratulate Meredith and Finn."

"I'm happy for them, and for Mackenzie. I really am. I simply wasn't expecting it."

"I wasn't either. You can do it, Der. I know you can. And one day we'll have our own children, and Mackenzie will have lots of brothers and sisters. Okay?"

"Okay." Derek eventually managed to give her a small smile. He felt a little reassured now. Maybe his deepest hopes and dreams would actually become true, one day.

"Hey, Derek."

Meredith was looking at him sadly, worried.

"I'm fine." Derek brushed it off, going to kiss her cheek. It was the first time he did so since their divorce. "I'm really happy for you, Mer. And for you, too, Finn." Derek shook his hand. "Welcome to the windy road of parenthood. The hardest thing you'll ever do, and yet the best you can experience." he said, winking at Mackenzie, who seemed guilty for a moment but then relaxed with a laughter. "Merry Christmas, Macks."

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

"So, Mackie, what about this puppy you got?" Addison cut in, wanting to leave Derek and Meredith alone in their conversation for a moment.

The girl's big eyes widended. "He's amazing! I named him Bunny. He's white, you know, and when he saw me he made this hiiiiigh leap in the air as if he wanted to greet me. Look, I made photos." Mackenzie took out her cellphone, showing Addison the tons of pictures she made, commenting each one in detail, giving Addison a perfect image of the moments.

"Are you excited about having a sibling?" Addison asked her quietly after a while, glancing at Meredith, who was laughing, her hands on her abdomen, where the baby was.

"I am. I've always wanted to be a big sister. When I was little I kept asking Mom and Dad to adopt another little girl or boy... but they never did. They said I was enough. Mom looks so happy now though. I think she's always wanted this as well."

"Yeah, I think she did. And your dad too. One day, maybe, we might have kids."

Mackenzie nodded. "He'd love that."

"What about you? You're used to be an only-child."

The girl shrugged. "Well, I like Elliot and Duncan, they're cool. And Mom's baby will be as well. And if you and my dad have kids, they'd be just as great."

Addison smiled, relieved. She hoped she and Derek would have at least two other kids in the future, she thought about it a lot lately and it had become her dream. Her first priority was Mackenzie, though, her first daughter, and her opinion on the matter was the most important thing. "I'm glad you think so." Addison was about to ask Mackenzie if she would rather have a brother or a sister, when the doorbell rang, and she, being the closest to the front door, went to open.

"Hello, Addison. I'm sorry, I didn't want to intrude, I just... well, I wanted to drop this off for Mackenzie."

"Hey, Fabian. Come on in, we're all here, you're not intruding at all. Merry Christmas."

"Oh, right." he said awkwardly. "Merry Christmas."

"Hi, Fabian!"

"Hey, sweetheart. I missed you a lot!"

"Me too." Mackenzie laughed. "Is that for me?"

"Yep, all yours."

Not wasting another moment, the thirteen-year-old unwrapped the gift, and squealed of joy when she saw what was inside: a digital camera, the exact one she had seen a month earlier in a shop when she was with Fabian and his wife, and that she instantly loved.

"Oh, I _adore it_!"

"I knew you would."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me that you remembered."

"Oh, I went back the next day and bought it. When I saw your face I knew I had to get it for you."

"Thank you, Fabian." Meredith cut in. "Mackenzie's really lucky. Actually, we all are, to have you in the family."

"Where are Mara and the boys? Why don't you come in and have dinner with us?" Derek asked, looking at Addison for her approval.

She nodded. "Sure, we'd love that. Right?"

"Right." Meredith confirmed with a nod.

Mackenzie looked delighted to have all her four parents with her as well as her little brothers.

"I'll go get Mara, Duncan and Elliot then. They're in the car, I said it'd only take me five minutes. The boys wanted to go ice-skating, but we can go tomorrow. I'm sure they'd rather be here."

When Fabian walked out and Mackenzie went to sit between Finn and her mom, Addison got closer to Derek, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's perfect." she said.

"It really is. Thank you."

"What for?"

"For everything. For getting pregnant, for giving us Mackenzie, for looking for her after over a decade, for accepting this crazy life. Thank you isn't enough."

"I think thank you is more than enough. I love you, Derek, and I'm just as thankful as you for the life that we eventually got. I couldn't be more satisfied with this crazy life, as you call it."

Derek pecked her lips. "This all feels like the perfect ending to our bumpy story."

"You feel like that? I actually feel like this is a new beginning. A new start after a chapter of our life was concluded... but now the best is coming."

"I couldn't agree more." Derek told her, kissing her again.

_The end!_

**A/N: I _might_ write another sequel in the future. I really feel like I could have written this a lot better, but this is how it came out, and right now I don't have the time nor the engergy to fix it, sadly. As some of you know, I'm having exams right now, and I'm not sure when they'll be over yet. I also have a new story planned, and it also has a sequel. I started writing it as I was finishing _All The Things You Said_, and now I have four and a half chapters done, that should cover perfectly the month of my exams. That is to say that though I don't have time to write at the moment, I'm not going to disappear. I hope you liked this short story, I know it wasn't as good as its prequel and I'm a little disappointed in myself about it, but somehow along the road inspiration faltered. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!**


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